A delightful Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery only made more delicious with the inclusion of the recipes!

In this “cosy” whodunit, we meet Alice Beeton – relative of the famous Victorian author – running a household management agency. Having always prided herself on finding just the right person for any position, she is shocked when Enya, a new housekeeper she recently placed with a wealthy, well-known family, is killed at one of their evening soirees.

Knowing there is more to the family than meets the eye, and having found herself currently without a flat, she steps in undercover as their new housekeeper. With the help of her friends (and while trying to avoid the detection of the rather charming police detective in charge of the case), Alice sets about finding out what happened to Enya and why.

This is a fun take on a murder mystery, and I enjoyed the references to Mrs Beeton throughout. Recommended to any fans of a cosy crime mystery.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency by Josie Lloyd is a charming and witty cozy mystery. The story follows Alice Beeton, who runs a domestic staffing agency and turns amateur sleuth when a housekeeper is murdered during a New Year’s Eve party. With a well-paced plot, engaging characters, and delightful nods to her famous ancestor through recipes, the book is both entertaining and heartwarming. While some twists may be predictable, the humor and festive setting make it a delightful read for mystery lovers. A solid 4-star pick for fans of lighthearted whodunits.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was a light and easy read. I loved the characters and the mystery unfolded gently. A gentle page turner, perfect for a dull winters day

If you're in the need for a feel-good read - in the cosy murder mystery genre - then Miss Beeton's Murder Agency is an excellent choice. Think Agatha Christie with extra sweetness. And add recipes for a unique touch too!

I loved the nod back to famous Mrs Beeton - our lead character Alice is a descendant, running a household management agency, but has to turn detective when one of her employees is murdered. A page-turning adventure ensues, highly enjoyed!

This was very implausible but a lot of fun! It was nice that the police weren’t too bumbling for once, and Alice was one heck of a sleuth. The crime was pretty well put together, but the ensuing circumstances did get more and more outlandish as things progressed.

I really liked Alice and her friends, even if it did feel a little convenient that they all had their backgrounds ;) and I would die for Agatha, obviously! I do think that there were a lot of characters so some were significantly less fleshed out than others.

I will say it took a good while to get going, so much so that I had begun to wonder when the murder would actually happen. But from there the pace picked up nicely and kept me on the edge of my seat. I predicted a couple of things but others surprised me, which is always good in a mystery.

While there are a few points for improvement, I did find this to be all-around decent fun. 3.75 stars

A mysterious and adventurous read. I enjoyed this well written book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

This is the first book I'm reading by Josie Lloyd - I really enjoyed it. This cosy mystery book is full of well-rounded charcters and a great plot and I'm hoping it's the start of a series. A great book to escape to and leave the world behind. Thanks to the publsihers for letting me read an advanced copy of this book.

Loved this book! I would give it more stars if I could. My kind of cosy mystery! The characters are colourful, the plot clever with intrigue and the writing is engrossing. This was truly difficult to put down. Please tell me Miss Beeton will be making another appearance in a new story soon! Great read, I wish I could read it again without knowing the ending!

Thank you Netgalley

Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency is a cosy mystery set around Christmas, but perfect for curling up with at any time for a few hours of delightful escapism.

Alice Beeton, a distant relative of the renowned Mrs Beeton, runs a household staffing agency providing domestic staff to the wealthy. When one of her placements is found dead after a pre-Christmas party, Alice is less than impressed by the police’s interest in the case. As a lover of crime fiction, and the owner of a dog named Agatha after the Queen if Crime herself, she takes it upon herself to investigate ….

Although set in the present, there is a charming retro feel to the book. Alice is a delightful protagonist, determined and not afraid to step out of her hitherto somewhat safe life to get to the truth. There is humour, there is intrigue - and there are even recipes. It all makes for a charming concoction - and an entertaining read.

Alice Beeton, a distant relation of THE Mrs Beeton, runs a household management agency. When one of the women she placed into a home in an emergency is found dead, Alice and the team need to solve the case quickly.

A fun cosy mystery, a nice start to a series. Lots of interesting characters are introduced, I particularly liked Jinx and Alices' dog Agatha! I will definitely look for the next book, I'm a big fan of this style of story and this was a great beginning point.

I think this is the cosiest of all the cosy crime fictions I have read, its so sweet its sprinkled with Mrs Beeton's recipes!
Alice Beeton is a distant relative of the famous Mrs Beeton; she's always been proud of the connection, and prides herself on being an etiquette expert and a stickler for the correct behaviour. She runs an agency providing household staff across the country and she has someone for every eventuality. When one of her employees is found dead, Alice Beeton suspects foul play and begins investigating.
The story is beautifully told with plenty of detail and description. I did enjoy the insights into the lifestyles of the uber-rich with their staff on hand for every occasion. Personally I prefer my crime a bit edgier so this wasn't the one for me, but I know lots of people have loved the gentler side to the crime fiction world.

Josie Lloyd writes a great story with older characters. Alice Beeton runs an agency supplying domestic and household management staff. Her latest placement ends dramatically and Alice, right hand woman Jinx and other friends end up trying to solve a murder. You see the sad and lonely side of life in a wealthy household and have some laughs along the way. #missbeetonsmurderagency #netgalley

Josie Lloyd's newest book is Miss Beeton's Murder Agency. It was wonderfully fun to read!

In the author's notes, Josie reveals that this is her first 'cosy' book. Well, she's done a great job in gathering and creating all the requisite pieces needed for a cosy.

The biggest need is for a lead character. Ours is Alice. She's the owner of The Good Household Management Agency - it provides a myriad of fully vetted staff for just about anything you could think of. She's very easy to like. And she has a dog named Agatha - after Agatha Christie of course. The core supporting cast is just as well drawn. The friendship between Jinx and Alice is well written.

It's easy to find the "baddies", but are we sure we've got the right person? The ah-ha took me right down to the final pages and explanations.

What else? Ahh yes there is! A possible romance with a member of the local constabulary? The same copper who warned her away from sticking her nose into the case.

And lastly a lovely cosy set of vintage recipes handed down to Alice. "...her Victorian ancestor the very famous Isabella Beeton - she of the Book of Household Management." Those recipes are included!

I really enjoyed this cosy! I'll be watching for book two in this series.

Alice Beeton is a distant relative of 'the Mrs Beeton', and runs the 'Good Household Management Agency'. When Enya Fischer, one of her new recruits is found dead, Alice decides to investigate along with a police detective, her dog, her friends and colleagues. Despite some of these characters having minor roles, I really enjoyed each one of them and thought they all added something to the mix.

The fact that Alice has named her dog Agatha is a big hint that the author has taken some inspiration here from classic Christie mysteries and this comes through loud and clear throughout the book. It's 100% a cosy crime murder mystery, with a light and festive feel which is perfect for crime fans at this time of year. The inclusion of recipes in the story was also a really nice touch!

One thing I can say is that this book was exactly what I was expecting after reading the synopsis and seeing the cover design. If you are a fan of lighter or cosy mysteries then you know what you will be getting. There was one surprise though - this story is set in the present day but because of the links to Mrs Beeton, and the style of writing - it had a more vintage feel to it. I had to remind myself sometimes that this was a modern crime story rather than a historical one but that added to the overall vibe in my opinion.

An entertaining, well plotted and solid mystery. It's cosy-like, well plotted, and I had fun and was kept guessing. I hope to read more featuring these characters.
The author is a good storyteller
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is the first of a new cosy crime series by Josie Lloyd, and I’ve got to say I loved it. The perfect read for me while I was on holiday. Alice Beeton -yes a distant relative to the famous Mrs Beeton - runs a household agency supplying staff to some of the most elite homes in London and beyond. When one of her staff is murdered she finds herself investigating the crime. This book is filled with great characters, and of course Agatha, the dog. A book full of warmth and compassion, with the exception of the baddies, and did I mention of the recipes! I highly recommend and can’t wait for the next instalment in the series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review

This was a surprise for me as I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but it was a beautifully written book with a captivating story. The characters were complex and relatable, and the plot kept me engaged throughout. Definitely worth reading. I really enjoyed this one.

Was a bit of a slow start and I didn’t know where it was going but this book was really enjoyable. Light hearted but interesting and funny, it was excellent.

Like Ms. Alice Beeton’s life, this book starts off slow and steady. It is matter-of-fact, methodical, and simple, just like Alice.

However, as the story develops and the body count starts climbing, Alice’s peaceful but mundane life is upended. Little does she know that a new employee and a phone call will change everything Alice knows in life.

I enjoyed the change of pace in this book. I didn’t appreciate it at the time, but it all made perfect sense in the grand scheme of things. I couldn’t read through the ending quick enough because it was so action packed.

The contrast between the quirkiness and flaws of the everyday working characters and the rich, self absorbed characters made for an entertaining read. The majority of the characters were loveable and relatable. The few cold souls made us appreciate the kind characters even more.

The relationships between these characters was heartwarming. Not only did the book tell us a story of a gripping ‘whodunnit’ murder mystery, it also showed us the happiness and peace that can come from loving company, tea and cake 🍰

The quickening of pace as the story was unfolding, the gathering of the evidence and the big reveal at the end made this Christmas themed murder mystery an easy 4.5 stars from me!